The CTeen Impact Care Awards dinner was recently held to honour our community’s young people.
It was a full house at this year’s CTeen Impact Care Awards dinner; 140 people attended including the teens, their parents, grandparents, and many community leaders.
Comperes for the evening, Jamie Sacks and Eitan Aibi, launched the dinner after the reception. Both had taken part in the scheme when they were younger and fondly remembered their involvement so were pleased to MC this year’s celebrations.
They introduced a group of participants who spoke about their activities in the scheme, including helping Homeless Street Angels, Cubs and Beavers, the LJWB café, adopt-a-grandad, and a charity car wash.
A video greeting from Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis was shown in which he said: “The greatest heroes within our communities are those who indeed excel in their selflessness and in all the care, love, and attention that they give to others.”
A letter from Sir Keir Starmer was read out, sharing his warm good wishes: “I commend all those involved in supporting the next generation, and I pay tribute to the teenagers whose commitment to helping others embodies the very best of community spirit.”
Rabbi Mendel Sufrin led a Psalm praying for the safety of the IDF and Jewish people around the world before the second group of participant teens introduced a lively video displaying their community care activities over the recent months.
Guest speaker Daniel Saunders – who has had a career in tech, worked at the Israeli Embassy promoting Anglo-Israel trade, and is now the Chief Executive of L Marks – reflected on his life journey shaped by identity, curiosity, humility, and human connection: “Success is not about status, followers, or achievements, but about relationships and the impact we have on others.”
He encouraged young people to embrace their uniqueness, explore opportunities, and learn from others: “In a world influenced by AI, the key lessons are to stay curious, remain humble, and be present in life to maintain the human connection.”
Guests of honour Debbie and Brian Addlestone presented the awards to the participants and at the conclusion, a third group of teens thanked all involved and presented them with gifts.
Rabbi Reuven Cohen rounded up the evening, addressing the late Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks’ idea of ‘Jewish community’: “I’m in this room, seeing it in front of my eyes. The people and families sat here span three generations. There are grandparents here who, some years back, sent their children to take part in the Care Awards. And those children have now become the parents who have sent their children to take part in this year’s. This is such a positive thing to see in this wonderful community of ours.
“You probably saw a clip going round from some teenagers recently. Since the pending social media ban, what are they going to do? ‘I’ll stare at the wall’ answered one little philosopher. Really? Our Leeds Jewish teenagers will answer you. To quote the rebbe in the video ‘we will be increasing acts of goodness and kindness to turn the world into a wonderful place of peace, prosperity, harmony, and Moshiach’.”
